A thin-film magnetic head and a method of manufacturing the same in which a precise control of a pole width can be performed and, at the same time, a sufficient overwrite characteristic can be obtained is provided. A top pole includes a top area defining a track width, a middle area coupled to the top area and a yolk area coupled to the middle area. Positions of the coupling point of the middle area and the top area are met with throat height 0 position which is a reference point of throat height. In the coupling point, a step in the width direction with almost a right angle is provided. A width of the middle area is made sufficiently wider than a width of the top area in the coupling point. Widening a pattern width of photoresist for forming the top area can be prevented and micronizing a recording track width is made possible. Saturation of a magnetic flux occurred in the yolk area before reaching the top area can be prevented and a sufficient overwrite characteristic can be obtained for having the middle area with a wide width.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head including: two magnetic layers magnetically coupled to each other having two magnetic poles which face each other with a gap layer in between and are to be faced with a recording medium, a thin-film coil provided between the two magnetic layers, and an insulating layer for insulating the thin film coil from the two magnetic layers; the method comprising steps of forming a plurality of layers into a stacked structure on a predetermined substrate as a supporting base, and performing a series of thin-film processes to each of the plurality of layers from the direction of stacking; wherein one of the two magnetic layers is formed so as to include a first magnetic layer portion with a constant width for defining a width of a recording track of the recording medium extending from the recording medium opposite surface facing to the recording medium to an edge of the insulating layer closer to the recording medium or its vicinity, and a second magnetic layer portion magnetically coupled to the first magnetic layer portion at the edge of the insulating layer or its vicinity; and a step in the width direction is formed in the coupling point of the first magnetic layer portion and the second magnetic layer portion so as to have a width of the first magnetic layer portion at the coupling point smaller than a width of the second magnetic layer portion at the coupling point; wherein an area of the gap layer with the exception of a part which corresponds to the first magnetic layer portion is selectively removed and an area of the second magnetic layer of the two magnetic layers with the exception of a part which corresponds to the first magnetic layer portion is selectively removed to a predetermined depth in the thickness, by performing an etching process from the direction of stacking using the first magnetic layer portion as a mask, thereby a trim structure, in which the first magnetic layer portion, a part of the gap layer and a part of the magnetic layer are stacked in a self-aligned manner, is formed.
2. A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head according to claim 1 wherein a step face of the second magnetic layer portion at the coupling point is substantially orthogonal to the extending direction of the first magnetic layer portion.
3. A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head according to claim 2 wherein a step face of the second magnetic layer portion at the coupling point has rounded-off edges in the width direction.
4. A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head according to claim 2 wherein a width of the second magnetic layer portion is almost constant all through the area.
5. A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head according to claim 2 wherein a width of the second magnetic layer portion varies depending on the area.
6. A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head according to claim 5 wherein a width of the second magnetic layer portion becomes wider as going further from the coupling point.
7. A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head according to claim 2 wherein the one of the magnetic layer further includes: a third magnetic layer portion having a larger width and area than the second magnetic layer portion, being magnetically coupled to the second magnetic layer portion.
8. A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head according to claim 7 wherein the first magnetic layer portion, the second magnetic layer portion and the third magnetic layer portion are formed in a same body through a same procedure.
9. A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head according to claim 2 wherein the first magnetic layer portion and the second magnetic layer portion are formed in a same body through a same procedure.
10. A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head according to claim 2 wherein at least a portion of the second magnetic layer portion is formed to be placed on a slope formed with the insulating layer.
11. A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head according to claim 1 wherein a step face of the second magnetic layer portion at the coupling point has rounded-off edges in the width direction.
12. A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head according to claim 1 wherein a width of the second magnetic layer portion is almost constant all through the area.
13. A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head according to claim 1 wherein a width of the second magnetic layer portion varies depending on the area.
14. A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head according to claim 13 wherein a width of the second magnetic layer portion becomes wider as going further from the coupling point.
15. A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head according to claim 1 wherein the one of the magnetic layer further includes: a third magnetic layer portion having a larger width and area than the second magnetic layer portion, being magnetically coupled to the second magnetic layer portion.
16. A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head according to claim 15 wherein the first magnetic layer portion, the second magnetic layer portion and the third magnetic layer portion are formed in a same body through a same procedure.
17. A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head according to claim 1 wherein the first magnetic layer portion and the second magnetic layer portion are formed in a same body through a same procedure.
18. A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head according to claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the second magnetic layer portion is formed to be placed on a slope formed with the insulating layer.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
November 16, 1998
December 11, 2001
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